Julie Falatko is a children’s book author who lives in South Portland. She’s written 12 children’s books, including “Help Wanted: One Rooster,” which came out in June. She’ll be reading from it during a story time at Barnes & Noble in South Portland on Saturday. 

I am a morning person. My perfect day starts with a 6 a.m. spin class at Jibe Cycling Studio in Portland. I never knew that I loved to have encouraging things yelled at me in a dark room to loud music until I tried Jibe.

Next stop: the Portland Farmers’ Market. I’ll buy anything that sounds like it’s a specific detail from a novel. Husk cherries, Icelandic poppies, French breakfast radishes, silver slicer cucumbers – I’ve bought them all.

The Portland Farmers’ Market in Deering Oaks Park is part of Julie Falatko’s perfect day. Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer

On the way home, I get a malt iced coffee from Tandem Coffee Roasters, and then I grab my dog Cosmo and head to Fort Williams Park (in Cape Elizabeth). He is a slow walker. He loves walking at a glacial speed around the off-leash area at Fort Williams. He stands at the top of cliffs and gazes out to sea like he’s a ship captain. He loves to feel the breeze in his ears. He’s got a rich inner life.

After Fort Williams, I bring Cosmo home for his daylong nap, and head back into Portland. Green Hand Bookshop is everything I want in a used bookstore. It’s organized and overstuffed. If I stare at a shelf long enough, the right book appears. I especially love the section of books about writing. I’ll also buy a new notebook. They have a great selection of notebooks.

Cosmo at Fort Williams. Photo courtesy of Julie Falatko

I’ve surely lost an hour or two in Green Hand, so it’s lunch time. I’m obsessed with the vegetarian feta sandwich on focaccia from Night Moves Bread in South Portland. I’ll get an Alpine Shakerato too, which is an herbed espresso drink that is phenomenal. I sit at the picnic tables and watch the drawbridge while I eat lunch and write in my new notebook.

I’m on a quest to figure out how to sew pants that fit me. I usually get fabric at Marden’s. Their prices are amazing, but you can’t go with the intention of getting something specific. Since this is a perfect day, we’ll assume I have the pants problem figured out, so I’m going to Z Fabrics on Congress Street to get fabric in a lovely color for my next pair. I’m thinking dark green linen?

South Portland children’s author Julie Falatko at Print: A Bookstore in Portland. Photo by Elle Darcy

Print: A Bookstore is part of any Maine day, perfect or not. There’s a table where the books are laid out like a beautiful curated cheese board, and it’s where I always find a weird or interesting book I’ve never heard of before. Today, I’ll get new novels for me and my husband, Dave. Before I go home, I stop in at the Portland Food Co-op for canned mocktails. I stopped drinking a few years ago, but I love to splurge on a mocktail.

Then it’s date night. I know some people love to go to downtown Portland for drinks and dinner, but our favorite date is to get sandwiches from Amato’s and drive to Bug Light Park in South Portland, where we eat in our car and watch the ships go by, and we can take a postprandial walk around the park.

Then I read until I fall asleep on the couch at 8:30 p.m. I really am such a morning person.

The view of Portland Harbor from Bug Light Park in South Portland. Derek Davis/Staff Photographer